The present invention relates to an arc source for a cathodic arc physical vapor deposition system. The cathodic arc vacuum evaporation technique is used to deposit metallic, ceramic and composite coatings on the following; cutting tools, punching and forming tools and injection molding tools. It is further applied in optical and decorative applications, medical tools and implants, automotive and aerospace industries. It's becoming widely used in aircraft, generators and tank gas turbines.
Each of these applications requires different coating properties. Parameters like: yield strength, toughness, hardness, adhesion, surface roughness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and erosion resistance have to be specifically chosen, the coating is then designed based on those requirements.
For example helicopter turbine engine compressor blades used in harsh desert conditions require erosion resistance. Gas turbine engines ingest sand and dust which erode the leading edges of the airfoils. Large particles roll over the blades' frontal surface. Engine power begins to deteriorate rapidly leading to early blade replacement and decreased fuel economy. Engine operating life is reduced.
Modern surface engineering requires nanotechnology adjustments to create the state of the art thin films. Instruments of surface engineering have to be more and more sophisticated to generate nanostructure, nanocomposite, single or multi layers and super lattices.
There is a couple existing patents which provide methods of modifying physical vapor deposition coating.    U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,592 presents a method for coating where the composition of the deposit is changed by introducing a gas during the deposition to produce a hardness gradient in the deposit.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,245 describes zirconium nitride coating for turbine blades to provide erosion resistance.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,211 presents nonstoichiometric titanium nitride coating.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,753 discloses substoichiometric zirconium nitride coating.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,335 provides method of deposition of erosion and corrosion resistant coatings on machine components.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,092 presents a coated turbine airfoil having an improved impact and erosion resistance.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,338 provides hard, ductile coating system.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,675 discloses a method of forming a multilayer coating by combining and simultaneously or consecutively using of various technologies.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,986 presents multilayered resistant coating for gas turbines.
These methods are using several known arc evaporation sources.    U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,848 describes a beam gun for use in creating an arc discharge between an anode and a cathode.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,845 provides an arc evaporation apparatus having an annular cathode.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,262 provides a cathode with unitary design, consisting of a plurality of layers of different metals.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,452 presents an electrode apparatus with a coolant cavity for actively and efficiently cooling substantially the entire lower surface of the electrode.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,980 provides a large surface cathode arrangement with a consumable cathode plate that is connected via an intermediate plate with high electrical and thermal conductivity to a base plate.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,235 discloses a cathodic arc metal deposition apparatus that prevents the deposition of metal droplets with the metal ions being deposited.
Many methods of efficient utilization were provided.    U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,231 shows a cathode using a magnetic field for retaining the cathode spot on the surface of the cathode.    U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,179 presents an apparatus which is maintaining the cathode spot using a shield.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,686 provides a cathode, a cylindrical anode and a focusing solenoid arranged coaxially with the cathode.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,867 discloses an apparatus which performs more efficient utilization of the electrode using a magnetic field to spread plasma over the evaporative surface.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,221 describes an apparatus having a solenoid coaxially disposed relative to the consumable cathode and having a tubular anode.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,477 discloses an apparatus in which the track of the arc is controlled with a magnetic field established with the permanent magnet that is moved in a closed path relative to the cathode.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,896 discloses a cathodic arc in which random motion of an arc spot is extinguished by a shield surrounding a circumferential side of the cathode with a gap.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,136 describes an apparatus which is controlling and steering the arc in a desired path as necessary to produce coatings of the desired compositions using magnetic fields generated to provide arc path control and modulation for efficient cathode utilization.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,421 presents an apparatus for the production of coatings, including a rectangular cathode plate, primary and auxiliary anodes and static and dynamic magnetic stabilizing subsystems.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,754 provides a plasma enhancement apparatus includes a magnet disposed about a magnet axis and defining an aperture for plasma.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,088 discloses a magnetic field cathode for arc discharge vaporizers.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,559 presents a cathodic arc which is maintaining the cathode spot using an insulating ring.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,185 shows a cathodic arc which produces a magnetic field for steering the arc around an evaporative surface.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,829 provides an apparatus for driving the arc around an axially extending evaporative surface of the cathode.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,074 discloses an apparatus which is creating a magnetic field of a distinctive cusp shape to trap and focus plasma particles.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,405 presents an evaporation source with a magnetic field generating source which can reduce the number of molten particles arriving at a substrate and deviation of occurrence of arc spots can be suppressed.    U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,645,354 and 6,929,727 provide an arc coating apparatus having a steering magnetic field source comprising steering conductors.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,623 discloses an arc deposition apparatus includes a plurality of magnetic coils for guiding plasma.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,509 presents an arc source which comprises an insulated counter-electrode and/or an AC magnet system.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,145 describes a cathodic arc with external current switching contacts to improve coating uniformity.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,946 discloses a magnetic guide that controls an electric arc between an anode and a cathode.
What is needed is an apparatus which can combine all known surface engineering techniques in the cathodic arc physical vapor deposition technology and generate high quality coatings with a relatively simple and economical method of production.